Magazine loader



Feb. 5, 1946. w. c. wossuM MAGAZINE LOADER Filed March 2o, 1945 camfmgr MW www# Patented Feb. 5, 1946 UNITED STATES l PATENT OFFICE MAGAZINE LOADER William C. Wossum, Pasadena, Calif.

Application March 20, 1943, Serial No. 479,847

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a machine for loading gun magazines.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine exceedingly simple in construction by the use of which the rapid loading of the magazine will be greatly facilitated, and one whose operation requires little physical exertion, and one that will enable the proper placing of tracer bullets so their position as well as the position of others, all visible to the operator, can be noted, thus enabling the bullets to be fed to the magazine to be placed in predetermined order with error chance in arrangement reduced to a minimum, it being understood that it is customary in practice to distinguish the tracer ammunition from the other by a suitable mark.

The magazine holder in the present embodiment of *the invention is designed to receive the magazine of a well known submachine gun, which magazine is of very considerable length and adapted for insertion in the gun receiver in a vertical direction, and in which the cartridges are arranged in staggered relation.

Inthe machine about to be described the magazine is loaded while in horizontal position.

In the drawing illustrating the invention;

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, showing a magazine in position to be loaded, with the plunger in the position wherein it supports a cartridge preparatory to dropping it in position to be forced into the magazine against the resistance of the spring that backs the cartridge follower in the magazine.

Fig. 2 is a plan view, with the parts in the position shown in Figure 1, with the chute removed.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the chute, the machine body being in section, about upon the line 3--3 of Figure l.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side view, broken away in parts and showing the plunger in position to be moved forward to force a cartridge into the magazine.

The numeral I designates the body of themachine which may be made of any suitable material and is generally rectangular in shape. The parts mounted on the body put no considerable strain upon it in operation therefore many cheap easily obtainable materials are available for its manufacture.

One end of the body is provided with a cavity 2 or receiver for the magazine 3 to be loaded.

CFI

The magazine, for the loading of which this machine, `in the illustrated embodiment of the invention is designed, is provided with a transverse lip 4 near its loading end, and consequently the iioor 5 of the cavity 2 is provided with a recess 6 for the reception of the lip 4 when the magazine 3 is snugly fitted in the cavity in loading position. The side walls l of the cavity are contracted as indicated at 8 to form a pocket into which the cartridges a fall by gravity, nose down, in the loading operation. f

One end of the body has an opening 9 for a plunger I0, whose forward end is provided with an arcua'te recess of a curvature in agreement with that of the cartridge shell. The plunger has a cross-head II, with trunnions I2 on its ends by which it has pivotal connection with oppositely disposed links I3 and I4, the link I4 being pivotally connected at I5 with an arm I6, on one side of the machine, the link I3 on the other side of the machine being similarly connectedat II to the operating arm I8, and arms I 6 and I8 are rigidly connected by a shaft I6' journalled in the body of the machine near its base.

The numeral I9 indicates an inclined open top chute which may be supported at its delivery end by a block 20 on the body I, which is supplemented by two oppositely disposed standards 2I, whose upper and lower ends are attached to the chute and body respectively.

Preferably there is a curved guard or apron 22, over the curved lower end of the chute, the curved portions of the chute and apron being so spaced with relation to each other as to preclude the possibility of the cartridges bending at the turn.

The rearward movement of the plunger may be limited by a pin 23 extending laterally from the side of the machine, for engagement with the operating lever, and its forward movement will be limited by the crosshead II. The range of movement of the plunger in its reciprocation is such as to take its feeding end entirely out of the pocket 8, when the plunger is in its extreme rearward position, and extends into the pocket when in forward position for a distance allowed by the crosshead II.

The magazine 3 of the type which the machine is designed to load has two oppositely disposed slightly inturned lips b, inturned anges c, and a spring backed follower d, the follower being provided at one side with a member e, to shunt the cartridge oi to one side of the magazine, the first as well as the succeeding ones, so as to arrange them in staggered relation in the magazine.

In operation of the machine, say putting in Y the spring-backed follower, it will be caught by ,Y

the magazine lip when the plunger recedes. the plunger comes forward in the, act. of feeding a cartridge, the cartridge next to be fed, rides on the top of the plunger, in. vertical position as shown in Fig. l, and in position to dropfin the: pocket 8 in front of the plunger when it reaches the position shown in Fig. 4. l f i I claim:

1. In a machinefor loading cartridges intoa gun rnagarfiine,V inV combination, a body. therein a cavity for the reception and supporter a. magazine and adaptedto receive the cartridges invertical position with itsl open" end toward the cartridge supply and an open. end-v cartridge. receiving pocket opposite theeloadingf end oi the magazineK narrower thanthe: cavity and adapted to support the.Y cartridges ini vertical. position in theY pocket, a reciproca-ble plunger mov-able inta and out of said pocket, andi-means for reciprocating ther plunger to feeda cartridge in vertical position from the pocket td themagazine.

2; In a machine for loading cartridges; intor a gunmagazine, in. combination, a4 body having;v a. cavity therein for: the receptiono-f a. magazine with its loading: end toward thev cartridge. supply, an open. end cartridge receiving pocket opposite the openend ofr the magazine narrower than, the

3. In a machine for loading cartridges into a gun magazine, in combination, a body having a cavity therein for receiving a magazine with its loading end toward the cartridge supply, an open end cartridge receiving pocket opposite the open end of the magazine narrower Vthan the cavity and adapted to support the cartridges in vertical position in the pocket, a chute vin which the cartridges are visibly supported, the delivery end of the chute being positionedt'o deliver the cartridges into said pocket, a plunger movable into and out of said pocket to feed the cartridges into the magazine, and means for reciprocating the plunger.

4. In a machine for loading cartridges into a gun magazine, in combination, a body having a cavity therein for the reception of a magazine, a'cartridge receiving pocket opposite the open end'of the magazine to receive the cartridges as they arey fed', means for feeding the cartridges tofthepocket. in vertical. position, a plunger suppcrtea the body for feeding. cartridges from the pocketY intothe. magazine, said plunger having a cross-head outside, the. body,V two links pi-votally connected to the cross-head, one on one side of the machine and one on the other, a transverse shaft journaled in the.v body and having. a rigid. arm; ori-gone; end tof which o neof. said links isl pivote.d and an operating lever rigidly attached to the opposite end of theshaft, said lever being pivotally connected` with. thee other of. said lfinlrs. Y

5, Ina. machine for. loading cartridges into a gun, magazine,l in combi-nation,A a body having an. elongated: cavity therein for the reception` of a magazine; with the` loading end toward the car'- tridge` supply an open end cartridge receiving pocketv opposite the open. end-v of, the magazine: and. adapted, to; receive the cartridges invertical:v position, means for: feeding; the cartridges to the pocket in: verticat position, said pocket being of a. width `substantia-lly connnensurate: with. the: diameter or the: cartridge: sofas: to.` support; the cartridge.: ini, vertical: position, aY plunger for feeding thee cartridges intoy the magazine; movableintcry andi of said; packen. said'. plunger extending normally far enouglr inte: said; pocket: toE @apport a. cartridge: in. position to.: fall into-z thea pocket While feeding; the preceding; onea into: the maga? zine, means for' actuating. the.; plunger; 

